Betrayed by the Prime
by Darkpanik
Summary: Clare has been marked by the Allspark and called by the Matrix of Leadership. But the war is far from over. Clare must survive another battle against the Decepticons and their surprising ally, as well as find out her family's secret that started her adventures. The third and final installment to the Clare Roberts trilogy. Rated M for language, violence, and sexual crap.
1. Prologue

_Hi everyone! This chapter is only the pro__logue to_ _Betrayed by the Prime_._ It's a little...preview, I guess, to what some of the main focuses in the main story will be. Honestly, I couldn't start writing the actual story without writing about what happened between Optimus and Nora. I felt like I just had to write this. I don't know when I'll start posting the story up. Hopefully it won't be too long, but please be patient. :)**  
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_Happy reading/writing!_

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**Optimus Prime POV**

**3 Months Before Clare's Graduation**

It was to be the day I talked to Clare's mother, Nora. Clare's high school graduation was near, which meant she will be able to stay in Washington DC with us Autobots. Jazz and Bumblebee were becoming more and more excited by the day to the point of giddiness. I was excited as well but also quite anxious. I decided that I had to put an end to the bad blood–so to speak– between Nora and the Autobots. I also needed her help concerning Clare's housing. I have recently asked Lennox if Clare was allowed to live in the NEST base. Lennox declined the idea. He didn't like the fact that a female as young as she would be living in a facility with dozens of grown men. I had to agree with his concerns. With me not being a human, it was rather difficult trying to find a suitable place for Clare. So after talking to Nora, perhaps she would have some knowledge about 'house hunting'. But time was growing short. I have been planning to talk to Nora for months. Since the beginning of Clare's school year, actually, but I obviously procrastinated it.

First thing's first, we needed Nora's permission so we could take the next step with Clare. She needed to know that her youngest daughter wishes to live in with us after she finishes school. I knew that Clare would come with us with or without her mother's consent, but I just could not leave it like that. I _had_ to talk to Nora. I _had_ to make her understand that we loved Clare and would do anything to protect her.

The drive to Clare's neighborhood was rather long. There was a lot of traffic, especially when coming near her home. It was a week day morning after all. Thankfully, Clare was already at school so I did not run into her. I was sure to 'block' the bond temporarily, so Clare wouldn't know what I was doing. Clare's sister, Anna, should also be gone. My mate has told me that Anna was attending "community college". Nora, however, should still be getting ready for her work. We would be along. Perfect.

I was glad to see the structures the humans inhabited were fully constructed. The population was quite small though. There were still a few humans who were most likely running late for whatever destination they wished to reach. I was quite relieved when none of the lingering humans bothered to give me a second glace. Perhaps they have already forgotten about us Cybertronians.

I parked myself in front of Clare's house. Right in front of the driveway to be exact. If Nora tried to get into her vehicle and drive away, I would have been in her path. I just hoped that she wasn't foolish enough to try to ram her small automobile into my much larger frame. After turning my holographic form on, I climbed out of my real body and headed up to the door. Different scenario's ran through my head as I rang the door bell: Nora listening. Nora yelling at me. Nora slamming the door in my face. Nora running out and down the street, screaming. All seemed possible. Maybe.

Moments later, the door opened. Nora looked up at me and stared. Her large brown eyes widened with horror then immediately flashed with anger. Before she managed to slam the door back in my face, I stepped forward and used my body to keep the door in place. Nora struggled as she tried to push my holographic body away. With a huff, she gave up and quickly walked up stairs. I closed the door and followed her.

"Mrs. Roberts, please. I only wish to speak to you," I called out.

"Leave before I call the police," Nora said firmly. She continued to walk up the steps without turning and facing me.

"The police will not do much good for you if I contact my human friends. But I still suggest that you don't call them...unless you want me to tell Clare."

Nora whirled around on the top step. She looked so furious that I myself stopped in my tracks. For some reason, her angry stare reminded me of Clare's glare whenever someone would say something degrading to her. 'So that's where she got it from,' I thought.

"Don't you _dare_ bring my daughter up," the human spat.

"I will and I have to," I retorted much more calmly. "I came here to talk to you about her."

"She is done with you!" she yelled. "Done! Clare has nothing to do with you anymore!"

"Yes, she does." I sucked in a deep breath, trying to keep my irritation in check. "Clare wishes to come and live with us in Washington DC after-"

"I forbid it!" she cut in. The conversation was not going too well. Then again, I did not expect Nora to be cooperative.

"Mrs. Roberts. Nora," I said gently then took another step towards her. "You know as well as I do that Clare will defy you either way." The woman clenched her jaw but her eyes watered.

"Please...just leave my family alone," she said rather weakly. I was taken aback by what she said. She sounded as if she just lost a battle.

"Nora, I am not here to hurt you, Anna, or Clare." She shook her head in disbelief.

"I already lost Jacob to your kind and I will not lose anyone else!" she cried out and began to sob. I watched as she sank down and sat at the top of the staircase. I didn't understand what she was saying. I slowly walked up the remaining steps and sat down next to the weeping human. It was very odd to see her cry especially after her cold stare and angry words.

After waiting for her to calm, I asked, "What do you mean?" Her dark eyes glared at me bitterly.

"My husband was killed by Decepticons. By _your_ kind!"

Normally, I would have taken offense to being called a Decepticon, but I was too stunned to object. Clare has told me a few things about her father, though she has never mentioned that his name was Jacob. But, she _has _told me that he died in a car accident. So, this new information did not make any sense.

"Clare does not know, does she?" I asked.

"No and you will _not_ tell her!" Nora snapped.

"As you wish. However, I truly think that you should tell her," I countered. When the female said nothing, I continued. "Clare has the right to know. Does Anna know?" Nora's silence was enough to tell me that her eldest daughter was also unaware. "How long do you think you can hide this from them?"

"I want you out of our lives!"

"At this point, that is impossible for me, my Autobots, and the Decepticons to do so. Clare is bound to me. We have, in a way, always been bound ever since she gained that scar on her chest." Nora opened her mouth, but I interrupted her. "Yes, Megatron has raped her. Yes, she has been injured." The anger reappeared in the human's eyes but I did not care anymore. She _had_ to understand our situation. She _had_ to understand how we feel. "Can you not see that she is not meant for a normal human life? It was her destiny to be a part of this war. And she has been thriving from her experiences." Nora said nothing. 'Perhaps a different approach,' I thought. It was obvious that Nora was quite distraught. Unconsciously, I pulled her close and held her. I was pleasantly surprised that Clare's mother did not pull away from my embrace. She merely clung to me. "Tell me about him," I murmured to her. "Tell me about your Jacob."

Nora hesitated before speaking. She told about how she met her former mate and about all the things they did. The 'dates' he took her on. As Nora told me this, I absently considered doing similar things with Clare. Nora clearly seemed to enjoy the activities. Perhaps Clare would enjoy them as well. Then Nora spoke about the ceremony humans have that bound them to their mates. A wedding, as they called it. Clare has brought up the term before but never conversed about it in much detail. I found myself quite intrigued, considering that we Cybertronians never had ceremonies like that. However, that wasn't the information I sought. As I patiently listened to Clare's mother, I realized that this was not for Clare's well being. This was mostly for Nora's instead. Nora never actually had the chance to mourn her husband's death. From what Clare and her memories have told me, Nora has never spoken about any of the things she just told me. Nora had never talked to her own daughters about their father. They must have been so young when he perished. Nora most likely thought that, because of their vague memories, they might not understand who their father was. Finally, after finishing talking about her wedding, Nora fell silent.

"You loved him," I said softly. She nodded. "And yet, you can not see the love I have for your daughter." Nora looked at me, truly looked at me. She never did believe that I loved Clare. "I love her. With all my spark. We are bound to each other, Nora. I've already told you this."

"What do you mean by 'bound'?" Nora asked quietly. I gave her a rather short explanation about spark bonds as well as mentioning the...abilities we are able to gain. "You've been talking to Clare through this...bond?" Clare's mother did not seem to fully grasp the idea, but she also did not seem to disbelieve it either.

"Yes. I am able to speak to her. I am all able to know where she is, how she is feeling, and even what she is doing. Clare can do the same with me. However, we are both able to block each other out if we wished to," I added dryly. Nora merely stared silently at the leather sack that sat on her lap. I believe Clare called it a purse. When Clare's mother said nothing, I decided to go back to Jacob. "What happened to your husband?"

"He was killed," she said simply.

"By Decepticons," I added. Nora nodded her head. "Why?"

"I was told that he saw a Decepticon in it's real form."

Nora sounded as if she wasn't fully convinced by what she was told. I wasn't very assured either. The 'excuse' behind his death seemed quite pitiful to say the least. Then again it was a Decepticon. Lower ranked Decepticons can be quite pitiful if they chose to be. However, it still did not make sense. Especially since Jacob's body was found in a car wreckage. I wanted to ask who told her about Jacob's death, but didn't. It was not the time. I had to let it go for now.

"Nora, I am not a Decepticon. I will never hurt you or anyone in your family, especially not Clare. I know she has gotten hurt, but she is not permanently damaged by it. She is strong and she would be stronger is she had your support and your help. I not only need you on our side but I also need your help in finding a suitable home for Clare. She can not stay in our base." Nora still said nothing. I let out a sigh then reached into her purse and took out her phone. After quickly adding my contact information, I placed it back into her bag. "I truly wish that we could be friends rather than enemies." I got up and left, knowing that Nora will not want anything to do with me.

**Two Days Later**

I watched as two NEST soldiers descended from the ceiling and land onto Ironhide's large shoulder plates. My weapon specialist immediately, though gently, shoved them off of him. The second the two humans landed on the ground, both rolled onto their backs and pointed their weapons at Ironhide's helm.

"Good!" Lennox called out then turned to the group of observing soldiers. "Remember to aim for the head, no matter what. Alright! The next two, go on!" The cluster of men groaned. They were getting agitated by the constant drills. "I know. I know," Lennox had to yell to be heard over the mutters. "We've been doing this all day. It's easy and boring. I get it. But remember, it won't be easy _or_ boring when we're doing this to _real_ Decepticons. Any of us cou-"

"Yeah, yeah!" one soldier snapped and stepped up. "Just put the damn harness on."

"Fine. Who else?" Another soldier stepped up and began to put the second harness on just as the first two men undid theirs'. Ironhide offlined his weaponry systems and stalked up to me just as Sideswipe took his place as the 'Decepticon'. I eyed the black mech's cannons warily.

"They were online," I said simply.

"Tch. I wasn't going to shoot anyone," the top truck muttered. "I thought it would add a little _more_ to the training drills." I solely shook my helm. There would be no point in telling him off. "So," Ironhide said after a moment of silence. "You ready to talk about what happened with Clare's mother? You've been avoiding the subject for a couple of cycles."

"Do I really have to tell you how it went?" I said tiredly. I did not feel like talking to him. But Ironhide didn't seem to care.

"I can already tell that she doesn't want anything to do with us. All I can say about that is, don't feel so bad. We'll figure out how Clare will be able to live with us without that human's help," Ironhide said. "But I know you, Optimus. Something else happened there. Something that is really bothering you."

"It's not that something happened. It's what Nora said that bothers me," I said almost to myself.

Ironhide led me away from the others and said, "Well?" I sighed and told him what Nora told me about Jacob's death. Ironhide gave me a quizzical look before asking, "What do you think really happened?" His optics glanced around him, making sure no one was listening in.

"I do not know, Ironhide. I just...I do not know."

"Do you wish to investigate further?"

"Perhaps...but not now. I don't want to be too paranoid about this. It may be nothing."

"Whichever you want, Prime, I will do my best to assist you on the matter."

"Thank you, old friend. Now I must figure out how to bring Clare here without upsetting her mother even more than I already have."

"You will find a way," Ironhide mumbled and gave me a strong pat on my shoulder before walking off.

I watched my weapon specialist leave for a moment more before brooding again. Despite feeling somewhat better after talking to Ironhide, I still was not entirely content on either matters. I was going to really have to forget about what happened to Jacob and start thinking about Clare's future with us. I supposed that I could ask one of the NEXT soldiers for help. Or perhaps even agent Simmons.

Suddenly, a signal appeared in my comm link. At first I thought it was from Clare, since the signal was clearly not from any of my Autobots. Then I realized that the signal was unfamiliar to me. Instead of tracing where it had come from, I answered the call and heard Nora's voice.

"Optimus? I found a little condo in DC. From what I remember, it's quite close to the NEST base. I think I'll be able to buy a room for Clare."


	2. Late

_Officially Chapter 1! So, I'm going to be working on this story as well as other stories from now on. If I'm not updating this fanfic, I'm most likely working on another one...that or just drawing, going to class, or working. XD Anyway, enjoy the starting of Betrayed by the Prime!_

_Happy reading/writing!_

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**Clare POV**

**Two Years Later**

I woke up, gasping and sweating. My blanket and bed sheets were in a tangled mess around me. My heart was racing and my body felt hot. It took a few minutes for my body to calm down. By that time, I realized that I was clinging to my pillow. It used to be big and puffy, and after a month it became thin and limp. It most likely got that way from the many nights like the one I just had. After scrounging around, I found my cell phone under the mess of sheets and looked at the time. It was 7:45. I had fifteen minutes to get ready and get to my 8 O'clock class.

"Dammit, Optimus," I muttered despite the smile on my face. As I jumped off my elevated bed and trotted down the steps, Optimus' deep chuckle echoed through our bond.

"_My apologies_," his voice said in my head. I could tell that he was smiling, not by the spark bond, but by his tone. It was light and content. "_I couldn't restrain myself._"

"You couldn't 'restrain yourself' for the last week and a half," I said out loud, knowing that he could 'hear' me either way.

My bond mate enjoys going into my dreams at night and turning them into wet fantasies. Since he's naturally able to navigate into my head, Optimus could easily make me 'feel' his thoughts. If he imagines himself touching me, then I can feel it. I haven't fully mastered the art of harassing my mate while he's working, so I mostly play his willing victim. Honestly, though, I don't mind his foreplay, if that's what you call it. I love waking up and feeling his warmth. But constantly waking up late on days I have class isn't good.

I went into my bathroom and stripped my night clothes off. I was pleasantly surprised that my clothes were still on. There were some nights, when Optimus decides it was appropriate to play, where I would get so hot that I would take my clothes off. Then I would wake up the next morning, not remembering doing so. I guess I was too busy twisting around and writhing to stop and unconsciously undress myself.

When I stepped into my shower, Optimus said, "_I am sending Bumblebee right now. He'll drive you to your class._"

"Thank you," I answered and turned the shower on. I took the quickest shower I possibly could and did my best to not stand there under the hot sprays. Because of my many late mornings, my toothbrush and toothpaste bottle were already in the shower with me. So I brushed my teeth in hyper speed as well. During that time, Optimus had gone completely silent. He probably had to do something NEST related.

When I turned the shower off, I froze. I could hear heavy breathing. I knew who it way, but I didn't know where he was. Behind the black shower curtains, a small lump quickly moved across my vision to one side, presumable attempting to peek in. Quickly, I pulled the curtains away, revealing the small blue Peeping Tom. The toy truck stumbled back with a shriek.

"WHEELIE!" I yelled.

The ex-Decepticon stared up at me with his duel colored optics, making me realize that I was still butt naked and wet. With a curse, I snatched my towel and wrapped it around me. Wheelie bared his uneven teeth in a wide grin, which made him look even more ugly.

"You shouldn't tempt me like that, Warrior Goddess," he said as he stood.

"How the hell did I tempt you?" I asked, stepping out of the shower. I was so tempted to kick the little bastard. If I wasn't already late, I would have done so even though I would have broken my foot. It would have healed in an hour, but I don't have an hour. I left the bathroom, ignoring Wheelie's attempt in seducing me by leaning against the toilet in a 'sexy' pose. I grabbed my clothes from my closet then dumped them onto my couch.

"Well," Wheelie said, having followed me. "you _were _moaning in your sleep again."

"I wasn't moaning for you," I snapped and dried myself off in super speed. At that point, I didn't care if Wheelie saw me naked or not. He could stare all he wanted. He just wasn't allowed to touch.

"So...did your Autobot give you a good time?" he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. I crumbled my damp towel and threw it at him, then I began to dress. I heard my cell phone ring, but it wasn't with me.

"Could you bring me my cell phone?" I asked the Autobot while fighting with my bra straps. Wheelie merely watched me. If he were able to drool, there would have been a puddle at his feet. "Wheelie! Move it or I swear I'll put you in my suitcase again!" At that, the blue mech jumped and rolled away. He was claustrophobic and when I threaten him with it, he knows I'll do it. I yanked my jeans up so fast, I should have gotten burns on my legs from it. Wheelie skidded back and held up my phone. I muttered a thank you and took the phone from him. It was a text message from Bumblebee. He was waiting outside. Damn. He beat me. Again. "Can you get my bag, Wheelie?" I pulled my shirt on then my hoodie and added, "Everything should already be in it." I ran back to the bathroom to brush my hair and put it up in a pony tail. It was still a bit damp, but I had no time to blow dry it. When I came back out, Wheelie was dragging my heavy bag over to me. It was one of those school bags that had that one single long strap. "Thank you!" I said and grabbed the bag then ran out. I ran through the hall, without being _too_ noisy, then through the doors outside. The familiar yellow Camaro with black race stripes was parked near the entrance doors and waiting.

"Took you long enough," said Bumblebee as I climbed into him.

"It wasn't my fault!" I said defensively. "It was Optimus."

"Again?" he asked. Bee's hologram, which sat in the driver's seat, grinned at me. His bright sunny blond hair was messy. He must have driven here with the windows down. His Autobot blue eyes were piercing yet cheerful and friendly. His grin was infectious.

"Yeah! And quit grinning at me like that. I don't even know why I tell you these things."

"You don't tell me, for the most part. I just figure it out," my guardian said mildly. "Did Optimus give you a good time?" I smacked his arm. Hard.

"Don't you dare go there! Wheelie asked me the same exact thing."

"Oooh. Right. The little pain in the aft still lives with you."

"Uh huh. And he tends to...listen in on what Optimus and I do." Bumblebee made a disgusted face then stiffened when someone banged on his passenger door.

"Speak of the 'bot," he stated dryly. I groaned then rolled down the window.

"No! Go back inside," I called out.

"But you said I could go with you this time!" Wheelie whined and banged on the door again. I honestly don't remember ever saying that, but I did know that if I didn't let him in now Wheelie would have made my day hell one way or another. I glanced back at Bumblebee, who was giving me an appalled look. With a sigh, I opened the door and let Wheelie hop onto my lap.

"Seriously?" Bee said.

"Be nice, Bumblebee," I said, then to Wheelie, "I am going to my class, which means there are going to be other humans around. If you get me into trouble by harassing others, breaking stuff, or anything else socially unacceptable, I will hand you over to Ironhide. Understand?" Wheelie recoiled slightly. He was afraid of Ironhide, which was understandable. The weapon specialist would probably use him for target practice.

When I looked at the clock over Bee's radio, I swallowed a shriek. It said 8:15.

"Bumblebee!" I yelped. Immediately, the Camaro sped off, his hologram trying to hide his smile. I scolded him for the entire drive, which only made him laugh.


	3. False Friendship

_Chapter 2 is ready for reading! I don't know when I'll post the next chapter, but I appreciate everyone's patience. Enjoy the chapter and review as always._

_Happy reading and writing. _

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Bumblebee managed to drive us to the Art Institute within five minutes, _without_ breaking the speed limit or driving through any red lights. It must have been a record for him. The yellow mech parked himself in front of the main entrance of the Art Institute. After yelling a quick goodbye, I jumped out of the yellow Camaro and ran inside. I could hear Wheelie's toy wheels whirling as he followed me. I was grateful that my English composition class was in a computer lab that wasn't too far into the building. But, I was still twenty minutes late. That's the most I have ever been late to a class. Ever.

When I burst into the computer lab, I found myself with a bunch of chattering students. But no teacher. I let out a relieved sigh. I saw my classmate and sort-of friend, Sarah, wave me over to the table she was at. I wasn't very close to her, not like that way I was with Caitlin, but she's the closest human friend I have at the moment. I went over to her with Wheelie following closely. Everyone was too busy with their conversations that they didn't notice him. He hid under the table as I sat in the small comfortable computer chair.

"Mr. Connally is late," Sarah said, grinning. "So you're in the clear today."

"Thank God," I breathed as I turned on my computer. I should have brought my laptop. It had all of my work on there already and no blocked sites. At least I had my hard drive.

"So, what was it this time?" Sarah asked as she fiddled with her oversized hipster glasses. "Another _Autobot crisis_?" Sarah, for some reason, didn't believe the Autobots existed let alone saved the planet. Since everyone, for the most part, knew that I have a connection with the Autobots, people tend to ask me questions about them. Well, they used to. After a while they stopped caring. When someone _did_ muster up some courage and ask me, Sarah would go out of her way to make them feel stupid by interrogating them about it. She never did that with me, but I still didn't like it. She was partially why I avoided mentioning my Autobot friends. That and it felt uncomfortable for me to openly converse about them.

"Slept it," I answered with a tight smile. I'll admit, I have used the whole 'saving the world with the Autobots' thing as an excuse a couple of times. It wasn't the best thing to do but they weren't complete lies. Most of the time.

With that, Mr. Connally, our professor, came in. The classroom fell silent. His chubby face was red with anger. We knew that he was in a piss poor mood and it was best not to prod him.

"Stupidity!" he exclaimed as he went to the front desk. "Honestly, stupid people should not be allowed behind the wheel." I mentally agreed with him, even though I didn't drive that much myself. But I do persuade Bee and Jazz to let me take control now and then. My professor continued his rant for about five minutes. While he was doing so, he turned on his own computer and logged in without skipping a beat. I was impressed by his ability to multitask. He finally started class, despite it being thirty minutes after schedule. With any other teacher, they would have just told us class was cancelled. Not Mr. Connally. He would have class even if we had just 5 minutes. My professor swiftly went over the assignment for the last time and then told us due date. The rest of class time was for us to work on out paper.

"I'll be back," Sarah said and went to another table. I merely nodded as I logged onto my computer. I was tempted to goof off on the internet. My paper was halfway done. It was more of an outline rather than an actual essay, but I had a couple more days to work on it. I'll most likely finish it at 3 in the morning the day it's due. I gave in to the temptation and roamed the internet, looking at useless information and snickering quietly at stupid pictures.

"Hey! Warrior Goddess!" Wheelie whispered harshly to me. He was sitting in Sarah's empty chair.

"Quiet, Wheelie," I muttered. "I don't want to get in trouble because of you."

"That girl is talking shit about you," he hissed. I looked at him and he pointed to the far right. A few tables down and forward, I saw Sarah sitting next to another girl. They were hunched together and talking in hushed voices. "I recorded them."

"Wheelie, you can't just-" I began but was interrupted by a recording of the girls' conversation. They were talking about recent Autobot news, which was another mission in the far East.

"I don't see why we can't have actual proof," Sarah's voice muttered. "We've never actually seen the aliens. There are just a bunch of random blurry pictures and videos. Anyone can make those now-a-days. It's just all a bunch of bullshit."

"True," the other girl said. "I'm just annoyed that people are so absorbed into that shit, like that girl you talk to."

"Clare? Oh yeah. She's freaky," Sarah said with a giggle. My hands tightened into fists as she went on. "She needs mental help, I swear. There's something wrong with her. She talks to _no one_. That's not normal.

"And those so called burns on her arm? Seriously? They look like cheap tribal tattoos."

"If I got those ugly things on my body, I would never show them off. I'd be embarrassed."

Wheelie turned off the recording. I've never really had others call me a freak before. If Caitlin were with me, we would have laughed about it or called them out. Instead, my chest tightened with a mix of anger and sadness. From the corner of my eye, I could see Sarah glance at me every few seconds. She would start giggling when she turned back to the other girl. The bitch.

"So much for friendship," I muttered, trying to concentrate on my paper. I should have known better than to rely on Sarah for friendship.

"What? That's it? You're not going to do anything?" Wheelie asked incredulously.

"There's nothing _to_ do," I said. I could have made their computer screens explode in their faces or just punch them myself, but that wouldn't have been right. "At least, nothing that won't get me in trouble."

"Well, I'm not going to let them get away with talking crap about my Warrior Goddess," Wheelie growled as he hopped off the chair and rolled away.

"Wheelie!" I called out.

"Ms. Roberts!" Mr. Connally snapped. "Is there something you'd like to say?"

"I...yes...no," I stammered as I frantically looked around, trying to find my little blue 'bot.

I jumped to my feet when I heard a shriek. Then another scream followed it. It was Sarah and her friend. I ran over to them. Both girls clung to each other, screaming and sobbing. Wheelie was chewing holes into Sarah's jeans.

"Wheelie!" I barked and grabbed him by the neck. He let go before I resorted to stunning him. Everyone in the classroom stared at me in shock and horror. Sarah was blubbering as if Wheelie bit her leg off. Being scared or startled is one thing, but it wasn't something to be sobbing about. Watching her cry made me feel even more furious with her. She wasn't even physically hurt. Her friend glared at me as if it was all my doing.

"You're such a freak, you know that?" she said and comforted Sarah. I stared at them, know that my blue eyes will creep them out. People have told me that I look scary if I stared at people, especially with an angry expression. I felt a bit satisfied when the friend recoiled from my gaze and yelled, "Just leave us alone!"

"You wanted proof, right?" I asked as little too calmly. "Here's your proof." I held Wheelie up. He snarled, making the girls shrill loudly. "Oh, quit it," I said, rolling my eyes. "He won't hurt you. At least, not as badly as my other Autobot friends could. But they won't hurt you guys either. It's against their moral code." Most of them, anyway. I knew that Ironhide still wanted to shoot half the humans he's met.

"Won't hurt us?" the friend asked."Look at what it did to her leg!"

"_He_ just chewed on her pant leg. From what I can see, Sarah's leg is fine. No cuts. No blood. No bruising." My voice came out bored but my heart was hammering in my chest. From the way she was talking, she sounded as if she was the 'victim' as well.

"You're so insensitive! You have no idea what it feels like to be attacked!"

At first, her statement astonished me.. Then Megatron's face flashed into my head. Both of his faces. The metallic silver grotesque face with the jagged teeth and red optics. Then the man with pale skin and silvery hair, his handsome face twisted with rage and lust. The amazement melted into fury. How DARE she say such a thing to me. Did she know who she was speaking to? This girl didn't know what it felt like to be attacked. To be hurt. To be tortured. She knew NOTHING.

Wheelie must have sensed my fury. His small hands patted mine comfortably. I sucked in a deep half-cleansing breath and forced my anger back.

"Come on, Clare," Wheelie said. "Let's just get out of here." I set the small 'bot down when I felt calm enough.

"Can you pack my stuff?" I managed to ask in an even tone. He nodded and whizzed off, back to my computer. The other students backed away as he passed them. I sighed and looked back at the girls. I so wanted to hurt them, both physically and emotionally. But I couldn't. Instead, I went back to my table. My small friend just finished packing everything back into my bag. I slung it over my shoulder and walked out without saying a word. The blue toy truck followed, also silent.

As I walked on, a tickle formed in the back of my head. Optimus was trying to talk to me.

"_I'm fine_," I told him before he could ask.

"_Do not lie to me, Clare_," he said firmly. He hated it when I lied. "_What happened? You are not letting me in_."

"_I'll tell you later. Can you just do me a couple of favors for now?_"

"_Yes...,_" he said uncertainly.

"_Can you send Bumblebee back to pick me up? And can you tell Lennox to call me? If they aren't busy already, that is."_

"_Bumblebee and Lennox are not truly occupied with anything right now. I will give them your requests_."

"_Thank you, Optimus_."

"_Do you promise that we will talk?_"

"_Yes, I promise_," I said. I hesitated before adding, "_I love you._"

"_I love you too, my little one_."

With that, he went silent and I suddenly felt lonely.


	4. The NEST Base

_Alrighty! Here's chapter 3! It's a bit longer than the others so far. Hopefully, I'll be cranking out longer chapters for you guys soon. Keep up with the reviewsas always! Thank you. :)_

_Happy ready/writing!_

* * *

It took me a moment to realize that Wheelie and I were already in the commons area. It was empty, except for the woman sitting behind the help desk. But she was talking on the phone, so she didn't notice us. Her words were merely low murmurs, which was a blessing. I needed quiet for a few minutes.

Wheelie hopped onto one of the couch chairs and motioned for me to join him. I graciously accepted his request and sat down next to him. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to see Bumblebee's concerned text.

"Are you ok?" his message asked.

"I'll tell you when you're here," I texted back.

Just as I tucked my phone back into my pocket, someone came through the door. Wheelie hiding behind the sofa without a moments hesitation. He probably wasn't interested in scaring off other people anymore. The man who walked in was just above average height. His thick hair was dark brown. There was some stubble on his face. To my standards, he wasn't at all good looking. Nor was he ugly. He looked directly at me then came over, smiling.

"Are you Clare Roberts?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, eying him suspiciously. I didn't see any point in lying to him. I've tried that before with other creepy stalkers and it didn't work. I just hoped he wasn't another creepy stalker or a crazed 'robot enthusiast'. I have met enough of those to last me a life time. They always try to meet me only so that they could meet the Autobots, or if they were lucky, as they say, a Decepticon. I always shoot them down. Figuratively.

"I'm Dylan Gould," he said. '_I don't care_,' I thought blandly. "I'm a board member at Accuretta Systems." '_Never heard of it_'. "I also like to collect cars." '_And I still don't care_'.

"You can't put the Autobots into your collection," I said, my voice dreary. I was somewhat surprised that he laughed.

"No, no. Nothing like that. I just wanted to offer you a job." The way he said it made me tense up.

"What kind of job?" I asked. Before he answered, my cell phone vibrated again. '_Thank God_,' I thought when I pulled it out. Lennox's name was on the caller ID.

"Sorry, Mr. Go-"

"Call me Dylan," he said smoothly. "I can tell that this is an important call. I'll talk to you later then." The creep left before I agreed. Not that I was going to, anyway. When I was sure he was gone, I finally answered.

"Hello, Lennox?"

"Hey, kid. Big man said you wanted to talk?"

"I'm in a situation."

I gave him a brief summary of what happened. It was always best to be blunt and to the point with the army boys. I had to learn that by hanging out with Ironhide and Ratchet.

"Oh. Well, that's an easy one," Lennox mildly said. "We'll just say that-Wheelie was it? Yeah- Wheelie was assigned as your temporary guardian because you started having chest pains. Sound good?"

"Yeah, it's a plausible reason for him being with me," I said. Honestly, it had been years since I've gotten any chest pains. Basically after I sucked up the All Spark energy my chest pains dwindled away. But sometimes I do get little tingles around my first scar. But the college didn't need to know about that. The cover up, I guess, was good enough.

"I'll make the call now," the soldier said. "And don't worry about it kid. You sound really down. Try to keep your chin you. Alright?"

I smiled faintly, even though he couldn't see me, and said, "Yeah. Alright. Thanks Lennox." When I hung up, my phone vibrated once again. Another text from Bumblebee. He was waiting outside. "Come on, Wheelie," I called out and walked to the doors. The small 'bot was in his toy truck form when he rolled out from behind the couch and went through the door I opened for him.

Bumblebee stood at the same place he dropped me off. I felt a bit relaxed when I sat down in the passenger seat with Wheelie parked next to my feet. I tried to ignore Bee's hologram staring at me. He was waiting for an explanation. When I didn't say anything my guardian drove off.

"They said I have no idea what it felt like to be attacked," I said.

"Who did?" Bee asked. I could still feel his hologram's eyes on me, but I looked straight ahead.

"These bitches in-" Wheelie began but I laid my hand on his head. He quieted.

"Two girls in my class."

"Why would they say that?"

"Because I didn't think Wheelie tearing holes into Sarah's pants was a big deal, considering that he could have done worse," I said bitterly. I wished he _had _done worse but that would have created more problems. Maybe even a lawsuit. "She and her friend were talking shit about me. They called me a freak."

"Sarah? Didn't you say that she was your friend?"

"I _thought_ she was my friend. Apparently, I thought wrong."

"Well, those idiots don't know anything," Bee said. When I looked at him, he had a scowl on him face. It made him look older.

Bumblebee knew that I still hurt from what Megatron did. Optimus and my close Autobot friends have helped me tremendously, but all the memories of the things the Decepticon leader has done to me couldn't go away so easily. If at all.

"I miss Caitlin," I said absently. Realizing that Sarah wasn't much of a decent friend has made me miss my old childhood friend so much more. Her parents hated me and I haven't spoken to them since they told me that they never wanted me to come near them again.

"Then call her," Wheelie offered.

"It's just not the same," I sighed and looked back out the window.

"I'm going to take you to the base," Bumblebee said after a long moment of silence. "You can meet the Wreckers. And maybe put them in their place."

"Wreckers?"

"Yeah. They just arrived. Didn't Optimus tell you about more Autobots arriving?"

"You mean other then Mirage and Wheeljack four months ago? No," I answered dryly.

"Oh. I assumed tha-"

"It's fine, Bumblebee, really. Optimus is busy. It's understandable," I said. Then with a smile, I asked, "What are the Wreckers?" Bumblebee smiled his sweet boyish smile and began telling me about them. The Wreckers were a small subgroup of Autobot soldiers. They're fierce and ruthless fighters. On Cybertron they went on extremely dangerous missions that were considered suicidal. I didn't know what to expect. I felt wary about meeting them.

We arrived at the NEST base minutes later. Since I was a close ally to the Autobots I was still allowed to go into the base. It was disguised as the "Department of Health and Human Services". Though, despite the disguise, guards were still stationed at the front gates. Personally, I thought it was stupid. Them being there made it obvious that it wasn't a service department. At least, not a normal one.

Bumblebee stopped in front of the gate. The two guards stared at me, frowning. I glared back at them until they looked away. After 'making sure' we weren't paparazzi or Decepticons, they let us through. I continued to glare at both men. When they avoided eye contact, I stuck out my tongue.

'_Clare stop making faces at the guards_,' I heard Optimus say dryly. I jumped at his sudden retort. Damn him. He was always so accurate at sensing the situation I'm in. I couldn't do that with him. I was almost jealous. '_It is their job to be wary of anyone who comes through the gate. They are like that to everyone. Even us Autobots._'

"Stupid guards," I huffed.

"Well, it's their job Clare," Bumblebee said."They act like that to all of us NEST members. Humans and Autobots." He obviously didn't know that Optimus just said the same exact thing, but I still wanted to give myself a facepalm.

"They're still jerks," I said as Bumblebee headed inside.

I understood what both Optimus and Bee said. Really. I did. I knew about all the crazy civilians who try to sneak into the area and protest against the Autobots as well as try to meet them. But still. I've been going to the NEST base for nearly two years now and they still acted like I was a nobody. It was frustrating.

"I mean," I continued out loud. "I helped save this planet as well as our sun!"

Bumblebee turned on his radio and blasted, "_Let the sunshine. Let the sunshine in. The sunshine in. Let the sunshine. Let the sunshine in. The sunshine._" Wheelie snickered.

"I'm being serious, Bumblebee," I said.

"That's the problem," Bee retorted. "You really need to relax and deal with all the junk other humans give you. Ok? Now quit moping. We're here."

We indeed were inside the NEST base. It was as huge as I remembered it but with more aircrafts, vehicles, and computer monitors. I didn't see any other Autobots around, which meant they were either gone or they were deeper inside the base. Uniformed men were scattered about. Most were talking and hanging around it seemed. Some, who saw Bee and me, grinned and waved. Some even patted Bee as we rolled by. When my guardian parked, I climbed out.

"I can mope if I want to," I mumbled as I adjusted my bag at my hip. Bee shifted to his robot mode just as Wheelie hopped out and rolled away.

Bumblebee said something about checking in and left me to myself. NEST soldiers gave me brief greetings which ranged from mumbled hellos, to shoulder pats, to simple waves. A few, those who really knew me, came over from where ever they were and ruffled my hair. They all knew I hated it so it became their special way of greeting me. I got used to it to some degree. I don't squeal or freak out like I used to though. I liked most of the guys anyway. The others were either cold, jerks, or I just unknown to me. NEST had recruited a bunch of new soldiers for the past year, so I was still getting to know half of them.

After the soldiers finished manhandling my hair, I decided to wonder around. Optimus temporarily shut me out of the bond, so he was busy. I assumed that the others were also busy as well since I couldn't find them. Calling the other 'bots was probably a bad idea. I knew for sure that _one_ Autobot was still around; Wheeljack. I decided to head over to his working space, which was in a far corner of the base where he was clear from everyone else. That way he could work on his inventions without hurting anyone else in the process. It seemed like a lot of his inventions become explosions.

I found the old scientist, fumbling about in his station. Wheelie was sitting on one of the counters looking through all the smaller tools. I watched the dark blue mech work. He mumbled under his breath, stuff I didn't really understand. It could have been another language for all I knew.

A while ago, I learned that Wheelie liked building things and working with tools. I realized that was why he enjoyed being around Wheeljack. They made a very odd pairing. Wheelie was a small obnoxious jerk of a 'bot with a very foul mouth both in English and in Cybertronian. Wheeljack, however, was a gentle old 'bot, though a little cooky. He had a very hard time saying anything mean or cruel, and he seemed to be in his own little world half the time.

The soldiers gave Wheeljack the nickname Q, for he was similar to the James Bond character. He made weapons and armor for the Autobots. I wasn't sure if 'Jack was even aware of the nickname. Honestly, I would have called him Einstein. 'Jack probably identified with him the most. It was clear that he modeled his face after the famous scientist.

"Hi, Wheeljack," I said loudly. The mech froze, his large optics blinking rapidly as if processing that someone was communicating to him. He looked directly at me. A smile appeared under his fringed plating that resembled a mustache.

"Ah! Just who I needed!" he said and came to me. 'Jack scooped me up and set me on the counter next to the thing he was working on. I couldn't tell what it was. I could have asked him what it was, but knowing him, he would have explained in such a way that I would have known even less. "Now," 'Jack began after muttering about other things, "can you charge this prototype ion blaster to 73%?" He said it so fast that I barely caught it.

"Uhhmmm...I'll try?" I answered.

"Perfect!"

I began to build up the energy in my arm. The feeling was odd yet very familiar to me. When I realized that Wheeljack had backed up several paces I got nervous. Was it going to explode? I looked back at the scientist. He was watched me with anxious excitement. He reminded me of a little boy watching the sky, waiting for the fireworks to start. The thought made me feel even more uneasy but I knew he wouldn't try to hurt me. Well, not on purpose.

The energy made my arm started to feel tingly like it was asleep. I touched the contraption and released the energy into it. A jolt went through me as the current spread throughout the weapon, knocking me back.. I wasn't hurt. Just stung. The tingly feeling spread all over my body before fading away. It made me giggle a bit. Wheeljack was babbling apologies as well as praises. I realized that the contraption had become an actual weapon, appearance-wise.

"Thank you, my dear child," 'Jack said as he repeatedly patted my head. "Ironhide will _love_ this. I know he will." I should have known it was for Ironhide. It did go with his design and it was very similar to the cannons he already had on his arms. When I looked back at the science-bot, he was silent and had his back to me, already working on something else. It was his unconscious way of saying, "I'm very busy right now."

With a smile, I said, "Bye Wheeljack," then began to climb down from the counter, knowing that he didn't hear me. It didn't take much effort to climb down. Many of the tall counters and berths have small steps for us humans to use. I was about to call Wheelie, but I realized that he was quietly handing 'Jack tools. Maybe he was better off at the base without being bullied by me. I walked off without saying another word.

Within five steps, I ran into something hard. I fell back onto my butt. The entire front side of my body ached from the impact and I rubbed my head, groaning in pain. When I looked up, I saw nothing in front of me. I instantly knew who it was: Mirage.

Mirage, along with Wheeljack, was part of the third wave of Autobots to land on Earth. He had a special ability where he could turn completely invisible for a short amount of time. Because of this, he was a very sneaky Autobot and could be somewhat of a trickster, though not to the same level of immaturity as Jolt. Mirage tended to enjoy playing games with me. He would turn invisible and move around me while I have to stun him. Usually, it's a fun game but I wasn't in any mood to play. I charged up my arm, more than I needed to, and waited. I could hear his footsteps. Even though he was skilled in stealth, I could still feel the groung shake when he's close enough. And he _was_ close enough. I thrust my arm out and touched his leg. He barked in surprise when I released the energy. His cloaking tech offlined and his red self stood before me. I half expected him to be angry, so he surprised me when he laughed. I watched him as he regained his composure. Mirage was just slightly taller than Bumblebee. His upper body had more bulk than his slender legs, giving him a rather odd-looking structure. But what was always striking to me was his paintjob. Mirage was entirely red, a beautiful shade at that.

"Prime said you wouldn't be in the mood to play," he said, his voice rich with a thick accent. Him talking would make any girl fan herself. "Where were you? I was looking for you, little one. Prime wishes for me to bring you to him."

"I was just saying hi to Wheeljack," I said. "Where _is_ Optimus anyway?"

"In the lower bunker with the others, introducing the Wreckers." I never knew that there was a lower bunker. I didn't say so out loud. I think my expression gave it away to Mirage, who smirked and picked me up. "Let us go then," he said then struts off. We headed towards the far back of the base, an area I was forbidden to go near with or without permission. This time no one stopped me. Maybe because I was with Mirage.

I area was disappointing to me. It was completely empty and the ceiling was much lower than the rest of the base. When I opened my mouth to ask why we were there, Mirage tapped a button on the wall. I didn't even notice the thing until he did so. Then the entire floor of that particular space began to descend. As we went deeper down, a bright night blinded me. When I was able to adjust my eyes, I realized that we were in a completely different room. It was the lower bunker, as Mirage mentioned earlier and it was _huge_! It was probably twice the size of what was above, which was big enough as it was. The blinding lights were more florescent lights. They were somehow even brighter than the ones up top. There were no planes or vehicles. Only computers and alien tech. There was even a mini race track area as well as a shooting range.

"Welcome to the Autobot Bunker," Mirage said.


End file.
